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Good evevning friends,

I hope all are well tonight, and dealing with the latest national tragedy in your own personal manner. I feel bad just being safe and comfortable here at home in Tucson. I have to admit that writing to you this evening
was hard to do. Still, I have the obligation to write you and express my feeling under good or bad circumstances.

Usually I'm pretty upbeat as you know, and trying to stay positive amist all the recent events, including hurricanes, earthquakes,
nuclear threats, and now another mass shooting, this time in Las Vegas. It sure makes it difficult for me to stay focused on my own goals and dreams of publishing my book. At times lately, it seems almost useless for me to be pursuing such a casual and selfish
desire of becoming a published author.

But then I think that is exactly what monsters like the concert shooter strive to destroy in normal, decent human beings; their hopes and dreams. Two very unique and personal God given gifts that all humans
possess, and have the right to manage, chart and share with whomever they please. I believe that is what separates us from animals, is our own self awareness, and the ability to use our consience for the benifit of ourselves and others, whether its our family,
friends or total strangers. I am not knocking our beloved pets, but they act mostly out of instinct, so hopes and dreams do not navigate their free will, unlike us humans.

Yet the paradox stares us right in the face, when we see individuals or
groups stoop lower than our dogs and cats, with their animalist attitudes that carry them to commit horrid, subhuman acts of terror. I'm perplexed when I see thousands of people rise up all over this world to help their neighbors and strangers in times of
natural or man made disasters, only then to hear or see others mow down hapless folks by the hundreds, in a public festival or plaza. Whether they chose to use a knife,truck, gun, or bomb to destroy the lives of the innocent people anywhere, and rob them of
their own hopes and dreams, and those who love and care for them. One thing will be certain; they will never kill the goodness that dominates the human heart in those who choose to do good, instead of evil, with their free will.

With that being
said friends, I will shake off the blues, and continue to defy the wicked souls amongst us, and forge on with my own hopes and dreams. That is something no one can take from me, not now, not ever. Good night.